Louisiana Department of Education
Fahrenheit 451
In his 2013 introduction to Fahrenheit 451, Neil Gaiman states, “Fiction is a lie that tells us true things, over and over.” In this extraordinary unit plan, readers "explore the power of written language to educate and influence...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Strange Fruit: Lynching in America
To continue their study of the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the beginning of the civil rights movement, class members watch the YouTube video of Billie Holiday singing "Strange Fruit" as an introduction to an examination of lynching in...
National History Day
No More Sticks and Stones: Technological Advancements in World War I Warfare
Remind young historians that many technological advancements influenced the events of World War I. After analyzing technology's evolution through primary sources, discussing the changes over time, and watching various video clips,...
Curated OER
Personally Speaking
Seventh graders read, "The Witch of Blackbird Pond," and write an expository essay discussing choices they have in society today compared with the character Kit.
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Self-portraits: Integrating Arts And the Language Arts
Students look into a mirror and draw their own self-portraits. Then they write a descriptive essay, describing the portrait and the features of their face.
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Brainstorming Time
Students brainstorm a list of possible topics for their essay. As a class, they review the characteristics of anecdotal writing and the form they take in newspapers or autobiographies. To end the lesson, they decide on their topic for...
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Multicultural Attire
Students research the native attire of a chosen culture, write an essay reflecting the role of the attire in the given culture, and create a significant piece of attire from that culture that be modeled in a fashion show.
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The Immigrant Experience In America
Students study immigration, Ellis Island, and tenement life from 1890 to 1924. Each student create an identity of an immigrant and write an essay in the first person. Essays describe what they found when they arrived in New York City.
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Civilizations Leadership
Students view a segment of Prosperity and Decline. They discuss what attributes made the empire strong. Students discuss what caused the fall of the Roman Empire. They write an essay describing the cause of the fall of the Roman Empire....
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5 Mother's Day Lessons and Activities
Students complete a craft project. In this Mother's Day lesson, students learn about Mother's Day around the world, write an essay about their mother, create a Mother's Day card, create coupons for meaningful time with their mothers and...
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United We Stand
Students recreate and simulate the secession of the South during the Civil War by having their class secede from the school. They write an essay comparing and contrasting the similarities and differences of everyday life before and after...
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Inventors
Students identify two inventors from the time period 1880-1920. They include information detailing one product or technological advancement each inventor was responsible for. Students use specific language and detail to discuss how...
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Harriet Tubman Integrated Unit
Learners organize facts about Harriet Tubman. In this writing instructional activity, students research Harriet Tubman, sort facts about her into two categories, and use the information they have found to write about her life in complete...
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Ancient Hebrews
Sixth graders analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the early civilizations of the Ancient Hebrews, and write an essay.
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Narrative vs. Expository Texts
Young scholars use examples of narrative and expository text to analyze and compare the two styles. Students read articles on life in Lesotho and Madagascar and use graphic organizers and discussion to compare them. Young scholars write...
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Mosaic America: Patterns of Racism
Seventh graders use print and electronic resources to gather and analyze information on the political system in the United States. Using the Constitution, they identify and discuss instances of racism included in amendments and laws. ...
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Is There a Problem with Wildlife on our Roads?
Students create a graph and analyze it to see if the data shows there is a problem with wildlife on the roads. In this wildlife collision lesson students write an essay to support their conclusions.
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Portraits Of Power: American Presidents
Students discover the responsibilities of the presidency. In this U.S. government lesson, students watch "Portraits Of Power: American Presidents," and then compose essays regarding the citizens' relationship to the presidency.
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Historical Heroes
High schoolers determine whether the ends truly justify the means by examining the behavior of historical and fictional heroes. They view and discuss film versions of Gangs of New York and Les Miserables. Then they break into small...
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What Do We Owe To Thoreau?
Learners use this design as an electronic reading and writing guide to Henry David Thoreau's famous essay, "On Civil Disobedience." They use activities to familiarize students with the political issues of Thoreau's time. Comprehension...
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Politics and Leadership
Students research a historic leader and analyze how a philosopher's writings influenced the ruler in an essay. In this philosophy of government lesson plan, students view a video and participate in a class discussion on how great...
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Resolving Kennedy's Legacy
Students examine the Kennedy presidency. In this presidential history lesson, students watch "Resolving Kennedy's Legacy." Students then discuss the provided questions regarding the presidency and write position papers about about the...
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I'm Number One!
Fourth graders complete a unit of lessons on the first seven presidents of the U.S. They conduct research, write a four-paragraph essay, and create posters and speeches for a simulated campaign convention.
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Mending the Rift
Students determine what factors identify a country's political borders. After reading an article, they investigate questions surrounding the Great Rift Valley. On a map, they trace the valley from Asia through Africa and research the...